Diamond Jubilee Specials

[Philip]

As we're in the middle of the big weekend of celebration, I wondered if members here are involved in any special services or recitals to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee? I know lots of churches and cathedrals are having celebration services.

 

Not too much going on in Beeston - on Tuesday his nibs messaged me saying 'I think we should sing the National Anthem on Sunday morning', and we've also inserted the Old Hundredth. Voluntaries will probably be Nimrod at the start, and definitely Crown Imperial to finish.

[Davidb]

We had a token nationalistic nod this morning, ending with Jerusalem followed by NA, all the other hymns being trinity based. Voluntaries were Swing Low Swing Chariot Arr. Lemare and Variations on Rule Britannia by Beethoven arr. Me before hand, and Pomp + Circumstance No.1 afterwards. Crown Imperial tonight

[Tony Newnham]

National Anthem this morning, followed by Charles Wesley's variations. Other hymns majoring on the Kingship of Christ.

 

I'm planning some suitable jubilee-related music for a concert here on 7th July.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

[Richard Fairhurst]

A normal (but shortened) Communion at 9am, then a Jubilee Service at 11am including I Vow To Thee My Country (ugh), the National Anthem - with Gordon Jacob Fanfare courtesy of pcnd5584, thank you again! - and then Crown Imperial to finish.

[Tony Price]

Old Hundreth arr. RVW, O taste and see RVW,Crimond Grant/ Baird Ross, God Save the Queen arr. Elgar (just to be different!). Played out with the Introduction, Andante, Scherzo and Fugue extracted from Pearce's Fantasia on the National Anthem.

 

Aslo included Lead us heav'nly Father, lead us Mannheim, which like All people that on earth do dwell is helpfully Trinitarian!

 

Tony

[Andy]

I couldn't find my copy of 'Crown Imperial' so my congregation were treated to 'Fanfare for the Lord Mayor of London' and 'March (Things to Come) by Sir Arthur Bliss (arr Gower).

[SteveBarker77]

This morning we kept to Trinity Sunday, although I did play a bit of the Water Music in honour of a previous flotilla. This evening we had a Deanery Evensong, with Parry 'I was glad', 'Zadok the Priest' and the Accession Day responses from BCP. I didn't have time to learn anything like Orb and Sceptre, but I did use the Intrada by Grayston Ives written for the Queen's Silver Jubilee service and published by Banks in their modern organ music book.

 

Steve

[innate]

I played Master Tallis's Testament at the end of BCP HC this evening, which seemed apt. I also threw caution to the wind and ended the Merbecke creed with a Tierce de Picardy.

[Contrabombarde]

The worship band in my current church were all on holiday so we decided to go for a "traditional organ" main service. St Ann Prelude at the start (announced, and after the congregation had come in but before the first hymn), Wir glauben all' an einen Gott during the Peace, Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam during Communion, St Ann Fugue at the end and hymns throughout. Unusual for that particular church to say the least, but appreciated none the less. I think it helped a lot that the minister introduced the service by explaining the Trinitarian significance of the St Ann and the relevance of the Clavierubung III chorale preludes to the Eucharist (yes, it was Trinity Sunday after all). After all, how often does the Eb P&F get played in churches up and down the land on Trinity Sunday and the organist is the only person in the building who knows why that, rather than any other piece, is appropriate for Trinity?

[Philip]

The worship band in my current church were all on holiday so we decided to go for a "traditional organ" main service. St Ann Prelude at the start (announced, and after the congregation had come in but before the first hymn), Wir glauben all' an einen Gott during the Peace, Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam during Communion, St Ann Fugue at the end and hymns throughout. Unusual for that particular church to say the least, but appreciated none the less. I think it helped a lot that the minister introduced the service by explaining the Trinitarian significance of the St Ann and the relevance of the Clavierubung III chorale preludes to the Eucharist (yes, it was Trinity Sunday after all). After all, how often does the Eb P&F get played in churches up and down the land on Trinity Sunday and the organist is the only person in the building who knows why that, rather than any other piece, is appropriate for Trinity?

 

Out of interest, does the St Anne Prelude have any Trinitarian relevance? I thought that was just the fugue (likewise, the Prelude doesn't really have anything to do with St Anne. I guess this P&F don't stick together in the same way as some others do). I'm very much one for not playing the same stuff on the same Sunday year after year, so yesterday was a welcome opportunity to vary things but I expect I shall return to the Fugue next year on Trinity Sunday. It is without a doubt my favourite piece of JSB organ music, and unlike much organ music which I find just evokes moods (e.g. celebration, nice to listen to, reflective, sombre, or just that it is great music) I feel it has real spiritual qualities. The entry of the third 'dancing' subject and then the final pedal entry are more than just great musical moments.

[Philip]

I expect many correspondents will be watching the celebration service from St Paul's tomorrow morning, which kicks off at 10.30am. The order of service is online now:

http://www.stpauls.co.uk/documents/queen%20elizabeth%20ii%20diamond%20jubilee%20order%20of%20service.pdf

 

In brief:

 

Beforehand, two bunches of organ music interspersed with the Band of the Welsh Guards.

 

Vaughan Williams Te Deum in G as the introit for the Queen's Procession.

 

O thou the central orb (Wood) as the anthem after the Sermon.

 

A new Will Todd anthem 'The Call of Wisdom' shortly before the end, based on words from Proverbs - this will be interesting as I quite like his stuff. It will be sung by the home forces plus the 'Diamond Choir' auditioned from around the UK. It is already available from OUP and a new CD of Will Todd's music has been launched today which features this as the title piece (also on the disc is his rather lovely offering for CfC5, which for me was one of few highlights in the new anthology).

 

Hymns are Old Hundredth (RVW), O praise ye the Lord, Guide me (arr Simon Johnson - should be interesting) and the Gordon Jacob National Anthem.

 

Simon Johnson will play them out to 'Orb and Sceptre' - then the Welsh Guards will do some bits but I don't expect we will hear them. Technically O&S is the current Queen's bit of Walton, but I'm sure its relative difficulty compared to 'Crown Imperial' has put a few organists (including this one) off learning it.

[mgp]

A normal (but shortened) Communion at 9am, then a Jubilee Service at 11am including I Vow To Thee My Country (ugh), the National Anthem - with Gordon Jacob Fanfare courtesy of pcnd5584, thank you again! - and then Crown Imperial to finish.

AM was Family Service themed on Technology - lots of contrasts from 1952 - which included a 'fly past' with Gordon Jacob fanfare (thanks to pcnd5584) + Nat Anthem. Afternoon Service with all the usual suspects (I vow, Jerusalem etc) tranferred from Castle grounds to the church - so repeat of the GJ fanfare - followed by Nat Anthem with 14 piece Brass Band - v loud! Evening Choral Communion for Trinity (Byrd a 4 and Mathias As truly as God is our Father)

[ick1508]

Thalben-Ball and 'Nimrod' - then a light 'Rule, Britannia!' before the start - His Nibs decided to arrive at his stall in the middle of a verse instead of timing it for the end of a chorus!

'Holy, holy, Holy' - as it's Trinity

'Christ is surely coming' (to 'Land of Hope and Glory')

'Christ is the world's Redeemer' - (to Holst 'Jupiter' aka 'Thaxted') - also nicely trinitarian

'Lord, may we see' (to 'Jerusalem') - refers to two out of the three

Crown Imperial to finish, avoiding the finicky bit in A flat so they get the big version of the trio in C near the end before they've all hit the coffee in the church room.

Went down well.

[David Drinkell]

Must confess the only gesture to the Jubilee at our place was reading the Prayer for the Queen's Majesty (we still use the Book of Common Prayer - aren't we lucky?). Otherwise, it was strictly Trinity Sunday. Little Organ Mass, 'Twas in the Year that King Uzziah died, and the Bach E flat P&St. Anne F in the morning, Brewer in D and Bairstow's 'Save us, O Lord' in the evening.

 

Doing a kind of Royal lunch-time concert on Wednesday, and there will be all sorts of things at 'Last Night of the Proms' later this month.

[AJJ]

Pre Jubilee service:

 

Walton - 3 Pieces from Richard III

 

Then........

 

Jerusalem

National Anthem

Calypso type Jubilee song - the Rector did this one on the keyboard.

 

Prepared after........

 

Walton - Crown Imperial

 

Actual after.......

 

A bagpipe playing member of congregation - 'found this out just before 1st hymn.

 

A

[MusingMuso]

 

 

Prepared after........

 

Walton - Crown Imperial

 

Actual after.......

 

A bagpipe playing member of congregation - 'found this out just before 1st hymn.

 

A

 

 

==============================

 

 

 

This is why organists should ALWAYS carry a very sharp pen-knife.....just for sharpening pencils of course.

 

MM

[iy45]

Out of interest, does the St Anne Prelude have any Trinitarian relevance?

 

i) The key signature has three flats.

 

ii) Schweitzer says "The prelude in E flat major ... symbolises godlike majesty". [Albert Schweitzer, J.S.Bach, Vol 1 p.277]

 

iii) Peter Williams notes that the structure has three ideas, and adds that "It has also been seen as a depiction of the Trinity", with the first idea (bars 1-32 painting "majestic, severe Father", the second (bars 32-50) painting "the 'kind Lord'" (Son), and the third (bars 71-98) painting "fluid, incorporeal (Holy Ghost). [Peter Williams, The Organ Music of J Bach, Vol 1 pp. 184-5]

 

Given all the internal evidence that Bach regularly got up to that kind of thing in the Cantatas and elsewhere, it would be a little rash to dismiss such notions out of hand.

 

Ian

[John Robinson]

I expect many correspondents will be watching the celebration service from St Paul's tomorrow morning, which kicks off at 10.30am. The order of service is online now:

http://www.stpauls.c...f%20service.pdf

 

In brief:

 

Beforehand, two bunches of organ music interspersed with the Band of the Welsh Guards.

 

Vaughan Williams Te Deum in G as the introit for the Queen's Procession.

 

O thou the central orb (Wood) as the anthem after the Sermon.

 

A new Will Todd anthem 'The Call of Wisdom' shortly before the end, based on words from Proverbs - this will be interesting as I quite like his stuff. It will be sung by the home forces plus the 'Diamond Choir' auditioned from around the UK. It is already available from OUP and a new CD of Will Todd's music has been launched today which features this as the title piece (also on the disc is his rather lovely offering for CfC5, which for me was one of few highlights in the new anthology).

 

Hymns are Old Hundredth (RVW), O praise ye the Lord, Guide me (arr Simon Johnson - should be interesting) and the Gordon Jacob National Anthem.

 

Simon Johnson will play them out to 'Orb and Sceptre' - then the Welsh Guards will do some bits but I don't expect we will hear them. Technically O&S is the current Queen's bit of Walton, but I'm sure its relative difficulty compared to 'Crown Imperial' has put a few organists (including this one) off learning it.

 

I thought the organ sounded very impressive - that's from what I could hear of it behind someone telling us all about who was wearing what hat!

[MusingMuso]

i) The key signature has three flats.

 

ii) Schweitzer says "The prelude in E flat major ... symbolises godlike majesty". [Albert Schweitzer, J.S.Bach, Vol 1 p.277]

 

iii) Peter Williams notes that the structure has three ideas, and adds that "It has also been seen as a depiction of the Trinity", with the first idea (bars 1-32 painting "majestic, severe Father", the second (bars 32-50) painting "the 'kind Lord'" (Son), and the third (bars 71-98) painting "fluid, incorporeal (Holy Ghost). [Peter Williams, The Organ Music of J Bach, Vol 1 pp. 184-5]

 

Given all the internal evidence that Bach regularly got up to that kind of thing in the Cantatas and elsewhere, it would be a little rash to dismiss such notions out of hand.

 

Ian

 

========================

 

 

For whatever reason, there was a flurry of interest in "number symbolism" after Schmend wrote his famous paper in 1947.

 

For what must surely be the definitive response, I would commend the following link:-

 

http://www.bachnetwo.../ub2/tatlow.pdf

 

Ruth Tatler certainly did her homework, but I'm not sure that it answers the broader question of theological significance. Certainly, the separation of "high" and "low" instruments and voices is used to marvellous effect, (even symbolic effect), in the Matthew Passion, where things heavenly are "high" and things of an worldly or dark nature heard as "low" sounds. That was, of course, part of a much earlier tradition in oratorio writing.

 

Whether it extends to a "Trinity" layout in the "St Anne", (itself a rather silly and meaningless title), is a matter for conjecture, but I think we can agree that it is a "divine" work in all respects.

 

MM

 

MM

[Philip]

i) The key signature has three flats.

 

ii) Schweitzer says "The prelude in E flat major ... symbolises godlike majesty". [Albert Schweitzer, J.S.Bach, Vol 1 p.277]

 

iii) Peter Williams notes that the structure has three ideas, and adds that "It has also been seen as a depiction of the Trinity", with the first idea (bars 1-32 painting "majestic, severe Father", the second (bars 32-50) painting "the 'kind Lord'" (Son), and the third (bars 71-98) painting "fluid, incorporeal (Holy Ghost). [Peter Williams, The Organ Music of J Bach, Vol 1 pp. 184-5]

 

Given all the internal evidence that Bach regularly got up to that kind of thing in the Cantatas and elsewhere, it would be a little rash to dismiss such notions out of hand.

 

Ian

 

Thanks. I remember seeing a lengthy list of the links to the number three in the fugue (e.g. the length of the three sections at 36, 45 and 36 bars respectively) - this doesn't seem quite as compelling but I can see the logic behind it.